Fade to Black
by Soldiers Heart Warriors Soul
Summary: The moon is a mysterious thing. It has both darkness and light. At night it chooses which side it shows us. Naruto just knows what's in the darkness though. I cannot do a good summary ok.


Fade to Black

(I do not own Naruto, that "privilege" goes to Misashi Kishimoto)

Prologue: End of an Era

**"Cursed is the man who dies, but the evil done by him survives"-Abu Bakr**

Its strange how the world just seems to keep on turning, no matter what incident, tragedy, or devastation strikes it. Time doesn't stop ticking for any man or god, it has a job to keep moving forward, and it does that job with complete and utter focus. This was the muse of one old soul who thought he had seen everything from the greatest joys to the cruelest fates that this world had to offer him. He had travelled and seen the ends of the earth, the most astounding battles of gods and mortals, and the Reaper of souls himself on more than one occasion. He had lead the greatest military known to man, to a time of peace and prosperity. To even keep it that way he had braved hell itself numerous times since, and dedicated the remainder of his life to passing on his knowledge. His experiences, his teachings, and his creed, he had handed them all on to the next generation of young men and women of the country. This body of his had been through it all, but it all didn't seem to matter now. His time by all rights and purposes should be over.

It was _all_ supposed to be over for him now. His home was supposed to have an everlasting sense of peace and prosperity, with war being just short of non-comprehensible in everyone's minds. His successor should still be here in this very office, asking _only_ for his advice and guidance. His successor was the one he had passed the torch onto to protect this village, it was _his_ time to lead. The village itself was supposed to have tall skyscrapers that attested to its strength, technical engineering capabilities, and above all its prosperity. This village was supposed to be the model of the utopian society for all other cities across the globe. That was never an opinion, but just a simple fact. A few moments ago that was exactly what it had been as well.

Strange how that can all be changed in the span of an hour, and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. The old man took an especially long drag of his pipe and sighed, fogging up the glass of his refound circular office. When it cleared he could clearly see the hollow, shadow of his life's work in front of him, all in flames. The once majestic village lie broken in rubble on the ground the buildings once towered over, while fires still burned and smoldered across it, illuminating the night. Thankfully his tower, the barracks, and the hospital all seemed to have been spared any significant collateral damage. The tired old man off-handedly wondered why that was, and why the rain that had come shortly after the incident hadn't dosed the fierce flames yet. He didn't think the fires should have been that strong. Now that he thought about it, even the smell of death was palpable around the village, like it was standing over your shoulder still, as it mingled with the ashes of the village. It might be a cruel twist of fate for the old bearded man, but for him this comparison was actually literal.

Not even one hour after his successors death, and he was forced to reclaim the former symbols of his rank, which he had once given, for the sake of the village. It also did not help things for him that his own student who had actually _taught_ his successor decided to run from the reality it seemed. He had promised to keep in touch, and pass along any important information he found, but said that he simply couldn't see his own student put in the ground. Another pupil gone the man supposed, he had already failed two so what was one more regret in his life. To add on to his list, now he had to calm down the civilians and explain to the council what exactly happened here tonight. The man couldn't hold back a grim frown.

"Your getting sloppy you know." said the old man with some mirth added into his voice to no one as he tipped his large, square hat over his eyes. It showed the Kanji for fire which symbolized his home. If anything he might have been seen as senile, even years before now. "Did you find what I asked for?" He asked.

A lone man stepped out of the shadows of the office like a phantom and knelt before him with an envelope held out in his hand. This new figure had silver, gravity defying hair that spiked off to one side of his head. He was dressed in black shinobi pants, form fitting shirt, shinobi sandals, and gloves with a metal plate on each. He was also wearing a grey chest plate, and gauntlets for armor that allowed his swirl-like tattoo to be seen on his left arm. The man's face was hidden a dog-like white and red mask that had two black eye holes to see out of. One of the eyes however had an eerie red glow to it that gave a slight demon-like appearance to the mask.

The old man took the envelope in his wrinkled hands and began to read its contents at the desk. More than once did the old man's eyes widen and his breath hitch, as he read his successors last will and testament. To him at least, the man had taken some serious planning and thought into the future of this village after the devastation. However the sheer outrageousness of his wishes held heavily on the man's mind. The man with the dog mask didn't see or register any expression of his superior as he stared down at the floor.

"Thank you Inu, you are dismissed. Go, and help with the rescue operations." He said with a wave of his hand. The masked man rose silently and placed his hand on the door knob. "I must remind you though Kakashi," He stopped, "The events of tonight, no matter how valiant or foolhardy, could not be stopped. Do not let your hatred consume you, do to something that was forever beyond yours or anyone's control." After a slight pause the masked man again trudged out of the quiet office and slammed the door behind him.

The old man just knew that this was only the start of a very long and painstaking night for him. He resolved himself to finding his little orange book when this was all over. _If_ it ever was over.

He stole one last glance out the window to the burning ruins that had befallen his home. It was ironic he thought. The Hokage is sworn to be able to die to protect the village and all its people. The man did die, in more ways than one, but it might already have been too late to save what he wanted to protect. A single tear trailed down his old grizzled face before he wiped it away. There was time to cry when he was dead to.

Yelling. A lot of mindless yelling and arguing was what greeted the man as he entered the circular council chambers. Questions of what happened, why were they attacked, and where was the Hokage floated around in the air, aimed at no one in particular. At least that was mostly on the civilian side of the counsel. The Shinobi side however was a bit more... subdued. All the clan heads were silently awaiting an explanation on the events with what appeared to be the epitome of patience, save for two. They were the leaders of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuuga clan, Hyuuga Hiashi respectively. Fugaku had jet black, combed down hair, and cold calculating, onyx like eyes as the rest of his clan. He wore the standard Shinobi attire of a green Jounin vest, black pants and a black shirt. The only alterations to the attire were the red and white fan inside a blue shurikan insignia, which marked him as head of the ninja police department.

Hiashi by contrast had pure ivory like eyes like the rest of his clan that always seemed to have a stern, imperial like look to them, but that's where the similarities to every other member ended. He had long brown hair that reached down to the middle of his back and green and white robes, that offered a full range of motion. These two clans are the highest ranked in the entire village, with the Hyuuga leading in nobility, and Uchiha clan leading militarily. They were also the banes of the Kage's existence

The old man could already _feel_ the headache that was about to ensue in the few minutes to come, as he slowly climbed up to his throne like seat. As he sat on the throne, he had an almost perfect view of the council chambers. The room was circular and lit dimly by only one central light in the ceiling, which created many shadows that he knew hid many observers. One seat below the man were his two advisers, Mitokado Hamura, and Utatane Koharu, both looking as old as he felt. Hamura was an old bearded man with green, spectacle glasses that adorned his face. Koharu was an elderly woman that attempted to hide her age behind some form of makeup, and always had her hair done up in towering balls, each held in place by one single needle.

To the man's left and right sat two rows of stands with six seats which curved around the room. On the left side was the ninja portion of the council, which sat the heads of the ten clans in, and around the village, along with the head of special operations, and the head of cryptography department. All still sat patiently, acknowledged the man's presence, and were waiting for the situation to be explained. Even Hiashi, and Fugaku both stopped their bickering.

Things were not so to the man's right however, unfortunately. The civilian council specialized in politics, economics, internal affairs, whatever helped inside the village. These people were behaving like chickens who have each lost its head though. They were yelling, screaming and calling out accusations as if their lives depended on it. This side never noticed the man's arrival, and it brought back memories that he would have rather forgotten about his time here.

Suddenly the room was deadly silent as all the occupants, save one, felt a shrill chill go up their spines. Everyone turned to the man seated on his throne in silent astonishment, and pure fear. Everyone on the Shinobi side had felt something like this at least once before, it was part of the job description. The sheer magnitude however froze them all to the spot, it was a cold, bloodcurdling feeling, like this man was death himself and had come to claim your very heart and soul. They knew that only those who had the power, and had such a strong will to kill could produce something like it. This was purely his killing intent.

On the civilian side however, each person was as still as a stone statue and was slowly losing control of their bodies. They couldn't breath, couldn't move, couldn't think, only stare at what was before them. What they were looking at though, was not a man in their eyes. No what they saw... was the death of everyone they cared for. Friend, family, loved one, all dead at the feet of this one man, soaking in their blood. They saw flesh and steel littering the ground as the man's eyes slowly locked on them. The cold harsh glare all but promised a slow and painful death. Each had heard the stories of this man, his battles, his victories, his skill. This was no man to them. No, this was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Professor, the Sandaime Hokage, and 'God' of Shinobi himself.

The pressure in the room became almost palpable with the oppressive aura. Even some of the Guards were having a hard time actually breathing. Just when everyone thought they couldn't take anymore of this feeling, it vanished as if it was never there. Like it never existed.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, I hope that we can act civilized for the time being and handle this matter appropriately?" He asked with a knowing smirk. His eyes seemed to hint at mirth and understanding, but promised pain if not done as asked. Everyone on the Shinobi side nodded while the civilians seemed to be left dumbstruck. "Now then as your all aware, we were attacked today by an incredible force of nature for reasons unknown to us at this time."

"What happened to it though Hokage-sama?" Asked Hiashi in a somewhat grim, and calculative tone.

"Rest assured," He replied. "The matter has been dealt with. Now on to-"

"Have we destroyed it then, _Hokage-sama_?" Asked a new addition to the room. Hiruzen Shifted his gaze to the door where yet another elder was waiting. This man, if he could even be called that, wore an excessive amount of bandages around his right eye, forehead, arms and torso, giving him a mummy like appearance. He also wore blue and black robes, he walked with a cane in his right hand, and his left arm was in a strange golden cast. This was Shimura Danzou, another Council adviser.

"Have we destroyed the creature that tried to destroy us?" He repeated again a little more pressingly. Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

"No Danzou-_san_, we were unable to destroy such a thing sadly." replied the old Kage fearing the response. And so came the flood.

"We couldn't kill it!" shouted a random civilian

"Where is the Beast now!" Asked another

"What do we do now!"

"Evacuate the village!"

"We're all going to die now!" That was the last straw.

"SILENCE!" Roared the Hokage, and he got exactly that. "The beast was sealed by the Yondaime into a newborn infant at the cost of his life!" He continued "We are here now only due to his sacrifice! Nothing can kill this demon, it can only be contained!" He deflated but only slightly. "Shiki Fuujin, it's the most powerful and complex seal known to man. Unless someone has an incredibly extensive knowledge on something the Fourth himself created, there is no way to possibly unseal the demon. The Yondaime's funeral will be held at dawn for any who wish to attend, but matters now must be settled before anything else. The village must come first. Again Wha-"

"We must kill the child!" You could have broken the silence that followed the interruption with a pin drop. The old man simply stared in shock at all of them. The civilian side all slowly began to realize how to solve what they saw as a 'problem'. Each had a cruel smiled plastered on their faces and disturbingly so did some Shinobi.

Granted, the Hokage knew what the demon had caused, but to quickly shift the blame over to a child who had barely left his mother's womb was unthinkable to him. The demon has killed, slaughtered and annihilated nearly everything in its path, but the child... the child has done nothing to deserve this curse. Nobody asked him, and nobody would have even consider his answer anyway. He was there, he was needed, and he could full fill a purpose, that was all that mattered. He was an innocent victim. Rage was building up fast in the Kage just thinking about it.

"Hang the demon!" Shouted a civilian. His eyes began to narrow further

"Burn him to ashes!" Shouted another villager. His teeth clenched

"Stab that monster right now!" His hands started shaking with pent up rage as they went behind

him

"A pint of blood for every-" The man never got to finish his sentence. Not with the Kunai knife firmly lodged in his throat. Everyone turned back to look at the Kage with fear in their eyes.

"What do any of you know of demons?" He muttered softly to himself while he stood up silently, hand still barley shaking. "Would all of you like to kill our new weapon?" Many were confused at this statement. "This child is now a Jinchuriki. You all should know what this entails. With the proper training he could become an invaluable tool to us all! He would become a godsend on the battlefield in any war we might have. Wars, battles, power struggles, all and more could be solved almost instantly by this one child. By this one _Demon_."

"More like he could destroy us all!" Was the reply from one villager. Many eagerly agreed.

"Do you honestly believe anyone could control such a beast? You must have gone senile old man!" The Hokage had to resist the urge to just snap his fingers there and then.

"Do any of you know what you are saying?" Roared the old Kage finally. "This child was picked by the Yondaime himself for this purpose! To carry this burden for OUR protection, to become our sword and shield as all ninja are! When has he ever led anyone in this village astray? When has he ever made you doubt his trust? ANSWER ME!" Everyone in the room paused in both fear and thought to consider those words. Silence reigned for a long while after like a shroud in the dark.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama," Replied Hamura nervously. "We all have seen the power of the beast, the devastation it caused, its raw power, malice, and Hatred... There is just no way for anyone to control such a thing! Let alone a child!" Replied Hamura. Many Shinobi and civilians nodded their heads in agreement.

Even his own peers now... Hiruzen was slowly losing his respect for the village. Did they not have a single shred of faith in the man they had once loved, and hailed as their savior? Where did all that undying loyalty to the hero of the third great Shinobi war go?

"No..." Was the tired old man's reply "No... the boy shall live his life as any normal child should. Who are we to take away what the he never got to experience? Who are we to take away his innocence?" _"That was his wish to_." He snapped his fingers and two Anbu who were dressed similarly to Kakashi kneeled down before him. One wore a tigers mask will the other wore a rats mask. "Tenzo, I want you to guard the child, Nezumi get me my seal."

"Hai Hokage-sama." They replied in unison before both vanished in a swirl of wind and leaves.

"Hokage-sama, what are you going to do?" Asked Koharu as she dreaded the answer. The Kage leveled her with a grim glare.

"Wait and see." He replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world. He then proceeded to take out an orange book from his robes, that all men in the chamber knew, perhaps a little too well.

"Why are you protecting the demon when you know, more than anyone, what kind of devastation it can cause?" Fugaku asked incredulously. The old man sighed. Literally three seconds away from his happy place and he is still interrupted. Maybe he should make a 'raise your hand and wait till I call on you' law just because of this. It works with kids and they behave just about the same as almost everyone in this very room, so it might actually work. Returning from his musings of running the counsel much like a daycare center he answered.

"Because I seem to be the only one that has not gone blind to the world yet." He said in a matter of fact tone. "Let me ask you this Fugaku, if a Kunai is sealed inside a scroll and I threw it at you, what have I hit you with?"

"The scroll." He replied oddly

"Exactly! Someone get this man a cookie!" He ordered. Immediately an Anbu with a tray of chocolate chip cookies appeared before Hiruzen, as the rest of the occupants in the room face vaulted. Let it be known that Sarutobi Hiruzen may have already lost his sanity. How the Kage actually got these cookies on short notice remained a mystery to them all, and would still be for quite some time. He tossed the cookie to Fugaku who caught it hesitantly. "Now using that reasoning what has the child become?"

"The child isn't like a scroll though Hokage-sama!" Replied an irate Fugaku. "It's not an object that we can manipulate at will! A scroll won't stab you when your back is turned!" The old man snapped his fingers. There was what appeared to be a black blur before the cookie he had tossed appeared back in his hand.

"No cookie for you!" He shouted as everyone began to sweatdrop. The Hokage then proceeded to take a bite out of his cookie.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama." Came Hiashi with a slightly twitching eyebrow. "But we must not rule out the possibility of the demons influence on the child. What if he turns on us because of it? What then?" Hiruzen was silent for a moment as he tried to think of a way to explain something even he barely got.

"The seal imprinted on the boy was created by the Shinigami himself. If he cannot contain the beast then nothing will." He replied. Before the council could even question this new information, Nezumi returned with the Hokage's seal. Hiruzen began writing furiously on one sheet of paper before he stamped it with his seal of office. "As of tonight, October Tenth, all events related to the Kyuubi attack are classified as an S rank secret. Should anyone speak of this night to the younger generation or anyone else who was never here to begin with, that person will put to torture up to the point of near death, before being executed publically before the village." The civilian side was speechless at this declaration, as were the Shinobi.

"Hokage-sama, you can't be serious!" Cried Koharu

"Our children need to know about that monster!" Cried another civilian.

"You won't even take our words into consideration first?" Asked Hamura. Hiruzen simply pointed to his hat as he climbed off the throne.

"When one of you are strong enough to actually take this hat away from you can do as you please. Until then my word is law here." He said as he walked to the door. " Shikaku, please give me the full report on the damage to the village outside. This meeting is adjourned. I cannot bear the sight of you any longer."

His age was finally starting to catch up to him. The damage report he was reading on the attack said that they lost the Amory, research and development buildings, Shinobi Archive, storage houses, and casualty rates landing in the hundreds. The armory could always be rebuilt along with the warehouses. there were plenty of blacksmiths and weapon forgers to help with restocking that. The main problem however was the R&D buildings, the Archive, and what to do with the dead.

All prototypes and blueprints were destroyed in the attack, as were the finished products themselves. It would Take years to just get R&D operational again, let alone any concrete advancements. The only way to rebuild the archive however would be to pool all of each clans personal history records. After today's performance, the old man didn't think that any would agree to it. At the very least he could contribute some of his own basic Jutsu to get it started. As for the dead, all would have their names inscribed on the memorial stone before a mass funeral pyre would be lit. Some in this land would call this a funeral fit for a king, him... he called it disrespecting their memory. They didn't have the land for so many graves.

The Kage sat down the report in favor of gazing out at the nursery room he insisted on being able to see. His eyes focused onto one and only one child. It was wrapped in a sky blue blanket, with blond tufts of spiky hair.

"Has there been any complications Tenzo?" He asked the masked man behind him.

"There have already been two assassination attempts Hokage-sama." He replied sorrowfully as he appeared behind him. The Kage couldn't believe what he was hearing. It hadn't even been thirty minutes since he addressed the village about the incident and his law, and yet the people were already crying out for the boys blood. Was this the extent of their ignorance?

"Who were they?" He asked dangerously.

"A drunken Chunin ninja who wanted revenge for his fallen comrade who he claims was his best friend, and one nurse in charge of the nursery whose Mother died in the attack." Replied Tenzo monotonously. Hatred the man resolved. They all hated what this child was forced to carry. "Hokage-sama, if I may, why don't you take him in or at least let us take care of him?" Asked Tenzo. "I know a few people in the Anbu corps that would be able to help him, and be more than happy to as well."

"We can't do that Tenzo. If even one shred of favoritism is shown to the boy, then many will get suspicious of his heritage. His life would only be put in further danger." Hiruzen reasoned. "We both know that, that cannot happen." Tenzo was silent for a moment before he finally bowed his head.

"It never going to be fair for him is it?" Asked the masked man.

"Such is the way of Jinchuriki. Every one of them knows a pain we cannot possibly fathom, even in or darkest nightmares... And he already has a pain that most others don't." He turned around and laid his piercing gaze on the one person he could honestly call a friend. "When he is able to leave, take him to the orphanage. At least for a while he may yet be safe." Tenzo couldn't believe his ears for a second. Send the child away?

"But Hokage-sama, you of all people should know what awaits him there after the way the people reacted to just hearing about the Kyuubi! You know what kind of life he will have then!" He reasoned. Nobody he thought, nobody, deserved to be hated for holding that thing. It was something he wouldn't even wish his worst enemy to have to go through! If the child went to the orphanage, he would get no protection, no financial assistance, and no guardianship. It would be the equivalent of tossing the child out onto the streets, and letting him fend for himself! Even other Jinchuriki had a better start in life than this!

"What would you have me do Tenzo!" Said the old man, fists shaking with anger, and barely restraining his yell. "I've tried to come up with _any_ way I could possibly help him significantly. Allowances, food supplies, I even tried to, at the very least, give him an apartment to move into when he could take care of himself, the village will not allow it! Every possible service I could provide him, I would have to be able to provide to_ every inhabitant_ in Konoha." He took another long drag of his pipe and then held it in his hand as he exhaled.

"You and I both know that we just aren't capable of that right now, and if we ever will be again, it won't be for quite some time. Anything that is rightfully his in the first place is sealed tight as well, until the Fourths requirements have been met by him in the future. My power is absolute only in a time of crisis but that has now passed. If I want anything done, I have to go through the damn system that has hindered all Kage's first.

This isn't the best option for him, but it's the one with the most probable odds of him actually surviving Tenzo!" He took yet another drag of his sweet tobacco, as if it were his only lifeline to his sanity. He then closed his eyes and tried to think of anymore he could possibly do. "No matter what happens this boy must live, if not for his father than for the village itself. The day will come when we will need the power of that demon to aid us."

"... What do we do then Hokage-Sama?" asked the tiger faced mask. The man let forth a sorrowful sigh.

"The only thing that's left for you and me is to do what we both do best unfortunately, simply watch, and help from the shadows of his life. When the time comes we will both help him, but only in ways that cannot be seen."

"Hai Hokage-sama." Was the reluctant reply before he started to fade back into the shadows of the room. "What about Danzou though?"

"What about him?" was his only reply as he was left alone in the hall. The old man stole one last glance at the tuft of bright blond hair before he began his long trek down the nursery hall, back to the world his once thought he knew.

_'Become strong Uzumaki Naruto. The fourth gave you that power for a reason. With it you could shape the very heavens and earth as you see fit. But you could also destroy all that you may come to love as well. Remember Naruto, to remember who you are, and what you could become.'_

_**Authors note**_

_**Thank you for reading the story! seriously it will help me, especially since this is my first story ever! Review if you can, I NEED THEM! They sustain my existence. I thrive off of them!**_

_**Also tell me, Harem or no. I'm teetering on either side here people! if it is though I want it to be small, like about 3 girls max. Girls are already decided too if so.**_

_**EDIT: I went back and fixed a couple spelling mistakes. If I make any more in the future please tell me what they are so I can fix them.**_

_**Also I opened up a poll for Naruto to or not to get a Harem. Again GIRLS ARE DECIDED ALREADY IF SO! I thank you for your suggestions because I might use them for future stories but when I say its decided there is no changing my mind.**_


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